About 450 Taiwanese Falun Gong practitioners with legal visas went to Hong Kong to attend an experience sharing conference legally hosted by the Hong Kong Falun Gong Association. Under the circumstances of their [the authorities] public acknowledgement that there was not any concrete evidence to show any criminal suspicion of Falun Gong practitioners, the customs officials of the Hong Kong government simply used the excuse of "security reasons" issued by their higher authority and sent a large group of police who forcibly detained 80 Falun Gong practitioners. Among the detained practitioners were two young children, who were also rejected entry and detained by the police with the excuse of "security reasons" when they were passing through customs.
Among the 80 detained practitioners, at least nine were mistreated with violence by the police, five female practitioners were forcibly deported being wrapped in restraining blankets. During the deportation process, the police handled the practitioners in a rough manner and caused many muscle injuries and bruises on at least two female practitioners' neck and arms. Forty two practitioners were detained in the evening of February 21, their detention time exceeded ten hours. They were ordered to not stand up and walk around, they were not allowed to take pictures as evidence. 18 out of 42 practitioners were placed in an isolated and tiny room, and the detained children practitioners were not given food or proper care.
The Taiwan Falun Dafa Association expresses the most solemn protest and condemnation against the Hong Kong government's trampling of Falun Gong practitioners' human rights and their brutal behaviour of forced deportation.
The Hong Kong Falun Gong Association is a legal organisation under Hong Kong laws, and it hosted legal assembly activities. However, ever since the beginning of last year when the Hong Kong government expressed its willingness to cooperate with Beijing's policies [against Falun Gong], the Hong Kong Falun Gong Association suffered suppression and numerous restrictions under the Hong Kong government's fabricated charges. This incident is yet another violent action and violation of human rights and universal freedom after the deportation of Taiwanese Falun Gong practitioners in June 2002. This time, they have used more severe treatment against Taiwanese Falun Gong practitioners including women and children who entered with legal visas with no dangerous items in possession and with no criminal suspicion. We solemnly condemn the Hong Kong government for its many actions of assisting the evil and we are very sorry that the deportation with violence ever took place. As for the excessive violent behaviour by the customs officials of the Hong Kong government, we will consider resorting to legal measures in seeking compensation for the violation against Falun Gong practitioners and their loss of property.
We firmly believe the Hong Kong government's action will be condemned by all people of conscience and justice. We also call for international human rights organisations and governments to strongly oppose the Hong Kong government's hidden malicious intentions and barbarous actions through the enactment of Article 23, for the Hong Kong government wants to extend the power of the Jiang regime, under the excuse of national security, in order to damage the promise of the "one country, two systems" policy and violation of both the Hong Kong people's and Falun Gong practitioners' human rights and freedoms. We also call for an immediate stop to the disaster of human rights violations in Hong Kong, which are a re-play of the persecution against Falun Gong practitioners in Mainland China. We also hope all people of justice can together safeguard the precious human being's basic human rights with us, condemn the Hong Kong government's violent actions and prevent similar anti-human rights actions from ever happening again.
February 23, 2003
* * *
You are welcome to print and circulate all articles published on Clearharmony and their content, but please quote the source.
more ...